Zipper hook



Aug. 18, 1964 Filed Jan. 12 1962 United States Patent O 3,145,041 ZIPPERHGOK Richard A. Grolig, 6552 N. Damien Ave., Chicago 45, Ill. Filed Jan.1'2, 1962, er. No. 165,858 4 Claims. (Cl. 294-19) The present inventionrelates to a novel tool for use in operating slide fasteners, and morespecifically to a novel tool for operating slide fasteners of the typefrequently used in clothing.

As will be understood, slide fasteners of the type contemplated hereinusually include a slide member adapted to force elongated complementaryfastener means together when moved in one direction and to spread thecomplementary fastener means apart when moved in an opposite direction.In addition a tab is usually hingedly connected to the slide member,which tab is adapted to be grasped by the fingers of an operator forfacilitating manipulation of the slide member.

Slide fasteners are frequently used in garments at locations which arerelatively inaccessible such, for eX- ample, as in the backs of women*sdresses. The present invention contemplates the provision of a toolwhich is especially suitable for manipulating the slide member offastener means located at a relatively inaccessible position on agarment whereby to facilitate the operation of such slide fastener.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide a noveltool which may be quickly and easily connected to or disconnected from aslide fastener and which is adapted to be used for Operating the slidemember selectively in opposite directions. p

A further object of the present invention is to provide a novel toolwhich is of relatively simple and economical construction.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will becomeapparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings,wherein:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view showing a tool incorporating the featuresof the present invention operatively connected with a slide fastener;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 2-2 in FIG. l;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an end portion of a toolincorporating the features of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is an end elevational View of the tool;

FIG. 5 is a view showing the manner in which the tool may be assembledwith or removed from a tab element of a slide fastener; and

FIG. 6 is an enlarged view showing the tool fully assembled with the tabelement of the slide fastener.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings, wherein like parts aredesignated by the same numerals throughout the various figures, a tool10 incorporating features of the present invention is shown in FIG. lassembled with a slide fastener 12 which is adapted to join opposedportions 14 and 16 of a garment or any other desired article. The slidefastener is of known construction and includes a pair of elongatedcomplementary means 18 and 20, respectively, securcd to margins of thegarment portions 14 and 16. A slide member 22 is associated with thecomplementary means 18 and 20 and, as will be understood, thecomplementary means 18 and 20 may include series of complementaryindividual locking elements which are adapted to be forced and lockedtogether when the slide member 22 is moved upwardly and to be spreadapart and disconnected when the slide member' is moved downwardly. A tab24 is hingedly connected to the slide member 22. In accordance with theusual practice, an aperture 26 is provided through the tab 24 adjacentan outer end thereof.

3,145,041 Patented Aug. 18, 1964 ICC While the device may be formed fromvarious materials including metal and plastic, the preferred embodimentof the present invention which is disclosed herein is formed in onepiece from a length of wire. The tool is provided with an elongatedhandle or body portion 28 which is preferably substantially straight. Aloop 30 is formed in the Wire at one end of the handle portion 28, whichloop is adapted to receive the finger of an operator and facilitatehandling and manipulation of the tool. Connecting means 32 is formed atthe opposite end of the handle or body portion 28 for attachment to thetab 24 of the slide fastener in the manner described below.

In the embodiment disclosed herein, the connecting means 32 is formed byfirst aXially splitting an end portion of the handle or body 28.One-half of the split end portion is bent laterally outwardly to providea finger 34 projecting transversely in one direction with respect to thehandle 28 and substantially perpendicularly with respect to thelongitudinal axis of the handle. The outermost end of the sectionproviding the finger 34 may be cut off. However, sufficient material isleft so that the finger 34 has a length which will enable it 'to projectwell through the aperture 26 and the tab 24 when the tool is assembledwith the tab.

The remaining half section of the split end portion is bent so as toprovide a generally U-shaped element having legs 36 and 38 connected bya bight portion 40. As shown best in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, the legs .36 and38 are generally parallel to each other and are spaced apart a distancesimilar to and slightly greater than the thickness of the tab 24 so thatthe legs are adapted to embrace the tab when the tool is applied to thetab. The bight portion 40 of the U-shaped element is disposed forproviding an abutment engageable with an edge of the tab when the toolis assembled with the tab, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 6. As shown best inFIG. 4, the U-shaped element extends transversely of the longitudinalaxis of the handle portion 28 and is arranged so as to present an openmouth 42 facing laterally in a direction offset substantially from thedirection in which the finger 34 projects.

The U-shaped element is integrally joined with the elongated handle orbody portion 28 by a section 44 connected with an end of the leg 38. Asshown best in FIGS. 3, 5 and 6, the section 44 is defiected laterallyfrom the central axis of the handle or body portion 28 in the directionof the open mouth 42 of the U-shaped element sufliciently so that theU-shaped element is substantially centered with respect to thelongitudinal axis of the tool. Furthermore, the length of the section 44is such that the U-shaped element is substantially axially spaced fromthe finger 34, and more specifically the upper leg portion 36 of theU-shaped element is spaced from the finger 34 a distance substantiallygreater than the distance between a longitudinal edge 46 of the tab 24and an adjacent edge of the tab aperture 26 for facilitating assembly ofthe tool with the tab in the manner described below.

In order to assemble the tool 10 with the tab 24, the tool should bepositioned so that its longitudinal axis extends transversely withrespect to the longitudinal axis of the tab 24 as shown in PIG. 5whereupon the finger element 34 may be inserted through the aperture 26.It will be noted that when the tool is positioned in this mannerinterference between the leg portion 36 of the U-shaped element and thetab will be avoided. After the finger 34 is inserted through theaperture the assembly may be readily completed by rotating the toolrelative to the tab and about the axis of the finger 34 so that the toolis moved from the position shown in FIG. 5 to the position shown in FIG.6. When the tool is pivoted in this manner, the tab 24 enters throughthe open mouth 42 ae of the U-shaped element whereupon the tab isembraced by the leg portions 36 and 38 and engaged by the abutmentsurface provided by the bight portion til of the U-shaped element. ,Thebight portion 49 is located so `as to engage the edge of the tab whenthe longitudinal axis of the tool is generally aligned with thelongitudinal aXis of the tab. It is further to be noted that the section44 of the tool is defieeted upwardly so that the inner surface 50 of theleg 38 is substantially coplanar with the upper surface of the handle orbody portion 28. As a result, the handle portion 28 will he positionedand effectively locked in substantially parallel relationship withrespect to the tab 24 in order to provide a substantially rigidextension of the tab which may be more easily grasped and manipulatedvby an operator.

When the tool is fully assembled with the tab as shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and6, the snugly embracing leg portions 36 and 38, which have substantiallyfiat inner surfaces 48 and 50, effectively prevent the tool fromrotating relative to the tab and about the central axis of the U-shapedelement which extends transversely of the handle portion. At the sametime the finger element which is engageable With both the upper andlower edges of the aperture 26 locks the tool against aXial deplacementrelative to the tab. VVith the tool thus fiXed relative to the tab, thetool may be either pushed or pulled for opening or closing the slidefastener.

While the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been shownand descrihed hcrein, it is obvious that many structural details may bechanged without departing from the spirit and scope of the appendedclaims.

What I clairn as new and desire to secure by letters Patent is:

1. The combination of a tab with an aperture and a tool of the typedescribed for Operating the tab, said aperture having predeterminedtransverse dimensions and being spaced a predetermined distance from alongitudinal edge of the tab saidtool comprising an elongated Wiremember, a finger element having transverse dimensions less than saidpredetermined transverse dimensions integral with and projectingtransversely in a first direction from one end portion of said Wiremember for extending intosaid aperture in the tab, and another elementintegral with said end portion of the Wire member axially outwardly ofsaid finger element a distance at least as great as said predetermineddistance and including opposed spaced apart leg portions extendingtransversely of the Wire member in a second direction offset from saidfirst direction for embracing opposite sides of said tab when the toolis assembled With the tab.

2. The combination of a tab with an aperture and a li' tool of the typeclescribed for manipulating the tab, said aperture having predeterminedtransverse dimensions and being spaced a predetermined distance from alongitudinal edge of said tab, said tool comprising an elongated Wiremember having a split end portion presenting two sections, one of saidsections being laterally deflected and presenting a finger elementhaving transverse dimensions less than said predetermined transversedimensions and projecting transversely in a first direction forextending into said `aperture in the tab, and the other of said sectionsbeing bent and presenting a generally U-shaped element spaced axiallyoutwardly of said finger element a distance at least as great as saidpredetermined distance from said finger element and having an open mouthfacing transversely in a second direction offset about from said firstdirection, said U-shaped element being engageable With opposite sides ofthe tab when the tool is assembled with the tab.

3. A tool for Operating a slide fastener of the type having a slidemember with an apertured tab hingedly conneeted thereto; said toolcomprising an elongated handle member, a finger element fixed to andprojecting transversely in a first direction from a point adjacent oneend of said handle member for extending into a tab aperture, and meansforming a pair of leg portions joined. by a bight portion to provide agenerally U-shaped configuration connected to said one end of saidhandle member and opening in a second direction transversely of saidfirst direction, at least one of said leg portions having a medialportion disposed along the axis of said handle member in axial alignmentWith a projection of said handle member and said finger element andprojecting to opposite sides of the handle member with the leg portionsadapted to engage opposite tab surfaces and With the bight portionengaging a tab edge when the tool is assembled to a tab with the fingerelement extending into a tab aperture.

4. A tool as claimed in claim 3, wherein both said leg portions projectto opposite sides of the handle memher for increased contact with a tabwhen the tool is assembled thereto.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,056,506 Courson Mar. 18, 1913 1,350,084 Schub Aug. 17, 1920 1,562,034Mieher Nov. 17, 1925 2,490,739 Nesbitt Dec. 6, 1949 2,502,849 JenningsApr. 4, 1950 2,854,722 Ruding Oct. 7, 1958 2,887,75.1 Lamb May 26, 19592.920,422 Freiberg Jan. 12, 1960

1. THE COMBINATION OF A TAB WITH AN APERTURE AND A TOOL OF THE TYPEDESCRIBED FOR OPERATING THE TAB, SAID APERTURE HAVING PREDETERMINEDTRANSVERSE DIMENSIONS AND BEING SPACED A PREDETERMINED DISTANCE FROM ALONGITUDINAL EDGE OF THE TAB SAID TOOL COMPRISING AN ELONGATED WIREMEMBER, A FINGER ELEMENT HAVING TRANSVERSE DIMENSIONS LESS THAN SAIDPREDETERMINED TRANSVERSE DIMENSIONS INTEGRAL WITH AND PROJECTINGTRANSVERSELY IN A FIRST DIRECTION FROM ONE END PORTION OF SAID WIREMEMBER FOR EXTENDING INTO SAID APERTURE IN THE TAB, AND ANOTHER ELEMENTINTEGRAL WITH SAID END PORTION OF THE WIRE MEMBER AXIALLY OUTWARDLY OFSAID FINGER ELEMENT A DISTANCE AT LEAST AS GREAT AS SAID PREDETERMINEDDISTANCE AND INCLUDING OPPOSED SPACED APART LEG PORTIONS EXTENDINGTRANSVERSELY OF THE WIRE MEMBER IN A SECOND DIRECTION OFFSET FROM SAIDFIRST DIRECTION FOR EMBRACING OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID TAB WHEN THE TOOLIS ASSEMBLED WITH THE TAB.